The public Macao University of Tourism (UTM) became Macau’s sixth university on April 1, and it is now studying the construction of a campus in Hengqin, which would be its third, UTM President Fanny Vong Chuk Kwan said yesterday.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the 9^th Tourism Education Student Summit on the UTM Mong Ha campus, Vong said that the university is “actively studying” the construction of a UTM campus in Hengqin, and that it is currently in discussions with the Hengqin authorities on the campus’ construction planning and major layout.

Vong also said that in the hope of capitalising on the adjacent island’s spatial resources and combining the strengths of tourism education in Macau to promote the development of tourism human resources training in the two places, the university has also, in conjunction with relevant public entities of the Guangdong-Macau In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, recently set up the Macau Comprehensive Training Base for WorldSkills Competition in Hengqin.

In addition, Vong said that the number of students enrolled in the upcoming academic year was very satisfactory: “After the school was upgraded from institute to university, it has taken on greater responsibility for its development to step up its enrolment promotion in the mainland and internationally,” pointing out that there are about 600 new students in the current academic year, and UTM aims to increase its enrolment by no less than 30 percent from the current to the next academic year, “which is a relatively large increase”.

Formerly, UTM was known as Macao Institute for Tourism Studies (IFTM). In 2023, IFTM had 1,808 students, according to official data.

Currently, UTM has two campuses – the main one in Mong Ha on the peninsula and the other one in Taipa.

Vong did not say when she expected the Hengqin campus to start operating. The island is a part of Zhuhai city.

Macau was awarded earlier this week the title of Culture City of East Asia 2025, and Vong pointed out that the title is a recognition of Macau as a base for exchanges and cooperation in which Chinese culture is the mainstay and multiculturalism coexists, adding that UTM offers courses related to cultural heritage, tourism and culture to help develop Macau into a World Centre for Tourism and Leisure as well as a platform for exchanges and cooperation.

Macau has recently been classified, for the first time, as the “most satisfactory” destination for mainland travellers, based on a survey conducted in the first quarter of this year, according to the China Tourism Academy (CTA). In the survey, Macau scored 83.49 on the satisfaction-level rankings of destinations visited by mainland outbound travellers.

Addressing yesterday’s event, Vong said in a speech that the local tourism industry was still in the recovery stage, highlighting the importance for the sector to explore new development strategies to seize new opportunities and withstand future impacts. 

This handout photo provided by the Macao University of Tourism (UTM) shows UTM President Fanny Vong Chuk Kwan delivering her speech during the 9th Tourism Education Student Summit on the UTM Mong Ha campus yesterday.